FIRST LADY BACKS BEAM ON NACGATE

The country’s First Lady Madam Gertrude Mutharika has distanced her newly established trust Beautify Malawi (BEAM) from the claims that the organisation used back door to secure funding of about MK5 million from National Aids Commission (NAC).

According to a story carried by one of the daily papers in the country [Nation Newspaper], revealed that Madam Mutharika personally wrote NAC, asking for funds to help in the launch of her trust.

In a related development, Mulhako wa Alhomwe also received money amounting to MK9.4 million from NAC which was used during this year’s Mulhako wa Alhomwe commemoration which was held at Chinde in Mulanje

Documents also showed that National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) also asked for money amounting to MK43 million to be used in preventing new infections by providing accurate HIV and Aids information to members of staff and their spouses at State House.

The development sparked an alarm from various stakeholders who accused the said organisations of using state machinery in acquiring the funds from NAC.

Reacting to the development, Madam Mutharika lambasted the claims.

“It was a standard letter which went out to a number of organisations and institutions including Nac, to help with the launch of Beam. We did not force anyone to give out any money. The organisations gave out the money out of their free will.

“In the specific case of NAC, the organisation decided upon receiving the standard letter that they were going to participate in the launch through the purchase of a K3 milliondinner table for their staff and stakeholders as well as through the buying of space in the dinner venue to the tune of K2 million for advertisement of HIV/AIDS messages through roll-up banners”, said Mutharika.

Mutharika’s reaction comes amid calls from Civil Society Organizations that they said organisations should return the funds to NAC.